A 'master plan' to turn the picturesque Pahalgam Valley into a concrete jungle has been scrapped, all credit to a 33-year-old businessman, Riyaz Ahmad Lone.

A local shopkeeper who runs a restaurant for six months during tourist season in Pahalgam, Lone had no idea how to seek legal intervention on a plan to allow construction of hotels on forestland.

But he was not ready to sit quiet and watch the Valley, flanked by the fast-flowing river Lidder and huge mountain ranges dotted with pine trees, turn into a full-fledged urban centre.

Local shopkeeper Riyaz Ahmed Lone filed a PIL in the high court pointing out constructions in the forest areas of Pahalagam

In 2008, Lone formed an organisation - Pahalgam People's Forum - and filed a PIL in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, pointing out constructions in forest and wildlife sanctuary in the Pahalgam Valley.

He sought quashing of the master plan (2005-2025), accusing its planners of de-notifying forestland and allowing the construction of hotels. Early this month, the court accepted his plea and directed the government to make necessary amendments to the Pahalgam master plan.

The picturesque area of Pahalagam Valley is a major tourist attraction

In the summer of 2005, Lone went to the Pahalgam Development Authority (PDA), the main regulatory agency for the development of the area, to seek permission for repair of his restaurant. He was denied the permission by the authorities. In 2007, Lone got a copy of the Pahalgam master plan.

Although he is a middle school dropout, Lone and some other villagers studied it in detail. They were shocked to see that villages such as Renzpal, Brandhaji, Manzimpora, Laripora, Ganeshbel were marked as green belts and hence "protected" from any construction and repair work.

By contrast, the lush green forests of Chanhaji, Serbal, Mir Pathery were shown as areas permissible for building construction. The misleading plan made more sense when they realised that the then chief town planner, Mir Naseem, and other officials had purchased land in the forest area. Protected wildlife sanctuary, Mamal-Shikargah, was also shown as "permissible for construction".

When Lone looked around and saw rich and influential people of Kashmir coming to Pahalgam to construct hotels and restaurants, he approached human rights lawyer Parvaiz Imroz in Srinagar and filed a PIL in the high court.

In 2008, a case was filed in the vigilance department against Mir Naseem and others for misrepresenting, manipulating and distorting facts. The accused had allegedly bought forestland and after changing its use sold it to the developers.

The court stayed all construction in Pahalgam and banned all repairs. It constituted an expert committee to examine the master plan.